Vented metal umbrella



0. 1967 l R. BUZZELLA ETAL Filed April 16, 1965 Oct. 10, 1967 R. w. BUZZELLA ETAL VENTED METAL UMBRELLA Filed April 16, 1965 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS. HOWARD O. BIGGERS ROBERT w BUZZELLA ATI'O RN EV.

R. w. BUZZELLA ETAL 3,345,786

VENTED METAL UMBRELLA Filed April 1a, 1965 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTORS. HOWARD O. BIGGERS BY ROBERT W. BUZZEPLA A'ITORNEY.

United States Patent Ofilice 3,345,786 Patented Oct. 10, 1967 3,345,786 VENTED METAL UMBRELLA Robert W. Buzzella and Howard 0. liiggers, Miami, Fla. (Both of 1060 E. 33rd St., Hialeah, Fla. 33013) Filed Apr. 16, 1965, Ser. No. 448,756

6 Claims. (Cl. 52-73) This invention relates generally to umbrellas and is directed particularly to improvements in vented metal umbrellas of the type produced in knock-down or kit form for compact storage and shipment prior to assembly at the site of use.

The principal object of the invention is to provide an umbrella kit of the character described in which the individual parts of the kit and their interconnecting and fastening means are kept simple and few in number to assure ease of assembly by anyone capable of using simple hand tools such as a screw driver and pair of pliers.

Another object of the invention is to provide a vented metal umbrella kit of the above nature the component parts of which can readily be manufactured for the most of a light-weight metal such as aluminum and which, when assembled, will provide an exceptionally strong and durable umbrella structure.

Yet another object is to provide an umbrella kit of the above nature which, when assembled, cannot be distinguished from a factory finished umbrella, which will be attractive in appearance, easy to adjust as to height and inclination, and otherwise Well suited to its use and purposes. 7

Other objects, features and advantages will be apparent from the following description when read with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, wherein like reference numerals denote corresponding parts throughout the several views:

FIG. 1 illustrates, in elevation, portions of an umbrella kit embodying the invention shown in partially assembled and partially exploded relation;

FIG. 2 is an oblique view of the top of an assembled umbrella, on a reduced scale;

FIG. 3 is an inside view of one of the prefabricated umbrella quarter-sections;

. FIG. 4 is an inside view of one of the tapered channel members of a quarter-section;

FIG. 5 is a transverse cross-sectional view taken along the arcuate line 55 of FIG. 3 in the direction of the arrows and illustrates constructional details of an umbrella quarter-section;

FIG. 6 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view taken along the line 66 of FIG. 3 in the direction of the arrows and illustrates details of assembly of an upper tapered channel member in an umbrella quarter-section;

FIG. 7 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view taken along the line 77 of FIG. 3 in the direction of the arrows and illustrates details of assembly of a lower tapered channel member in an umbrella quarter-section;

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary view illustrating, in crosssection, how the edges of adjacent umbrella quarter-sections are mechanically interfitted in assembly of the kit;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view, with portions broken away, of the vertical support structure of the umbrella;

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the adjustable knuckle arm, shown separately;

FIG. 11 is a perspective view, as seen from the top, of the umbrella support disc, shown separately;

FIG. 12 is a perspective view, as seen from the top, of the umbrella cover cone, shown separately;

FIG. 13 is a perspective view of one of the umbrella radial support arms utilized for quarter-section support; and

' FIG. 14 is a perspective view of one of the umbrella radial support arms equipped with a connector fitting for umbrella support at the juncture of two quarter-sections.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, the umbrella kit embodying the invention comprises, generally, a vertical support structure including a lower support pipe or tube 10, an upper support pipe or tube 11 telescopingly received Within the upper end of the tube 10 and having ailixed at its upper end a knuckle member 12, and a collar 13 located at the end of tube It and having a set-screw 65 extending through an opening in said tube for adjusiably securing the upper support tube 11. The kit also comprises, generally, an adjustable knuckle arm 14, four umbrella quarter-sections 15, four separate tapered channel members 16, an umbrella support disc 17, two sets of radial support arms 18 and 19, four to the set, an umbrella cover cone 20, a pyramid finial 21 and a small number of nuts, bolts and screws as is hereinafter more particularly described.

The knuckle member 12 at the upper end of the upper support tube 11 is preferably cast of a light-weight metal, such as a strong aluminum alloy, and comprises a cylindrical body portion 22 integrally formed at the upper end and at one side with a cylindrical head portion 23 the axis of symmetry of which is perpendicular to that of said body portion. The inside of the head portion 23 is formed with radially-extending, tapered, triangular grooves 24 and an axial opening or bore 25 for receiving an interconnecting and adjustment bolt 26. Preferably, the bolt 26 has a hexagonal head for seating in a hexagonal recess 27 at the outer end of the knuckle bore 25. The lower end of the cylindrical body portion 22 is formed with an axial opening within which the upper end of the support tube 11 is received and secured as by an epoxy cement, for example.

As is best illustrated in FIG. 10, the adjustable knuckle arm 14 comprises a comparatively short pipe or tube 28, preferably of the same diameter as that of the upper support tube 11, having fixed thereto at the lower end, as by an epoxy resin cement, a knuckle and support member 29 and, at the upper end, similarly fixed, a circular flange 30. The knuckle and support member 29 is also preferably cast of a strong aluminum alloy, and is generally similar in size and form to the knuckle member 12, differing only in that the head portion 31 is not recessed at the outside and in that the body portion 32 is provided with means for mechanically supporting the inner ends of the radial support arms. To this end, the body portion 32 has integrally cast, at the outer end thereof, a coaxial cylindrical collar portion 33 of substantially increased diameter which, in its outer end, is formed with a recess 34 defined by eight inwardly-facing, substantially semi-circular wall portions 35 symmetrically arranged about the central opening or bore 36 within which the lower end of the tube 28 is fixed. The tube 28 is provided with tapped openings 37 in vertical alignment with each of the semi-circular wall portions 35 of the recess 34 and a short distance thereabove for receiving bolts 68 securing the radial support arms in assembly of the umbrella kit, as is hereinbelow more particularly described.

The circular flange 30, which also may be of a cast aluminum alloy for lightness and strength, is integrally formed at its underside with a central, tubular portion 38 within which the upper end of the tube 28 is fixed, and provided with four equidistantly-spaced, axially-extending openings 39 within each one of which is press-fitted or otherwise securely and permanently attached an upwardlyextending bolt or threaded stud 40.

The umbrella support disc 17 is stamped or otherwise cut of aluminum alloy sheet and is circular in form. The support disc 17 has secured thereto a central upstanding threaded stud 41 and eight peripherally-arranged,

equidistantly'spaced, upstanding comparatively short, threaded studs 42. The threaded studs 41 and 42 may, by way of example, be ordinary carriage bolts press-fitted or otherwise secured Within appropriate underside openings in the disc 17. The support disc 17 is also provided with four openings 43 equidistantly-spaced from the center of said disc and from each other, and so positioned as to receive the threaded studs 40 of the flange 30 during assembly of the umbrella kit, as is hereinbelow more fully described. In this connection, it is to be noted that the flange 30 is so circularly oriented on the tube 28 with respect to the knuckle and support member 29 that when the disc 17 is assembled thereto as hereinabove mentioned, the tapped openings 37 in said tube will be in axial alignment with one each of the studs 42 in said disc.

As illustrated in FIG. 4, the umbrella quarter-sections are fabricated of upper and lower longitudinally-tapered channel members 44 and 45, respectively, alternately arranged in fan-like disposition. The upper channel members 44 are preferably stamped of a light-weight metal, such as sheet aluminum, and are integrally formed with elongated, tapered top wall portions 46, and downwardlyturned side wall portions 47 which terminate in relatively short, opposed inwardly-turned portions 48. The top wall portions 46 at the inner or narrow ends are provided with downwardly and outwardly turned portions 49 and 50, respectively, said outwardly turned portions being provided with apertures 51 for receiving securing rivets or other fastening means, as is hereinbelow described. The outer or wide ends of the upper channel members 44 are provided with downwardly-turned valance portions 52, the outer edges of which are arcuately cut to present a scalloped appearance. The outer edges of the valance portions 52 are also backwardly bent to provide a rounded bead 77 thereat.

The lower channel members 45 are similar in shape to the upper channel members 44, being integrally formed with elongated, tapered bottom wall portions 53, and upwardly-turned side wall portions 54 which terminate in relatively short, opposed, inwardly-turned portions 55. The bottom wall portions 53 at their inner or narrow ends are provided with short, extended portions 56 provided with apertures 57 for the reception of fastening rivets, as hereinbelow described. The outer or wide ends of the lower channel members are also provided with downwardly-turned valance portions 58, also scalloped and beaded as at 77.

The quarter-panels are pre-fabricated at the factory,

lower channel members 44 and 45 thereof are secured in assembled relation at their inner ends by riveting to an arcuate connector plate 59 and, at their outer ends, by bolts with self-locking nuts 60 extending through overlapping top and bottom wall portions in the valances of adjacent ones of said upper and lower channel members. Each quarter-panel 15 also has fixed laterally along its underside an arcuate tube 61, said tube being attached to the lower channel members 45 by rivets 62 (FIG. so placed as to be hidden by upper channel members 44. Centrally arranged on the arcuate tube 61 of each quartersection is a T connector fitting 63 having an outwardlyextending arm 64 for reception of one of the radial support arms 18 in the assembly of the umbrella kit, as is hereinbelow described. The ends of the arcuate tube 61 project by a short distance beyond each side of the outside lower channel members 45. Similarly, the ends of the arcuate connector plate 59 project slightly beyond each side of the outside lower channel members 45.

' The umbrella kit above described is assembled by first placing the lower support tube 10 down upon a length of pipe P secured in the ground at the site (FIG. 1) and then inserting the upper support tube 11 in said lower support tube with the collar 13 secured near the upper end thereof as by set screw 65. The knuckle arm 14 will then be secured to the upper end of the upper support tube 11 by the bolt 26 extending through the head portions 23 and 31 thereof, said knuckle arm being adjusted in inclined position to one side to facilitate assembly of the umbrella quarter-sections 15. The support disc 17 will next be fitted upon the upper end of the flange 30 of the knuckle arm 14, with the threaded studs 40 extending through the openings 43 in said support disc, and secured in place by nuts 66. The down-turned ends 67 of the four radial support arms 19 will next be placed in altermnate semi-circular portions of the recess 34 in the knuckle and support member collar portion 33 and secured in place by bolts 68 extending through openings 74 in said down-turned ends and threaded in the tapped openings 37 in the tube 28. The first quarter-section 15 will then be placed between two of the support arms 19 with central and end half-openings 69, 70 and 71 thereof receiving the pertaining three threaded stud bolts 42 of the support disc 17. At this time, only one nut 72 will .be used on the central stud bolt 42 to hold the quarter-section 15 in place. Next, the second quarter-section will be fitted in place in the same manner adjacent the first assembled quarter-section, and secured at its central stud bolt 42 with a nut 72. The T connector fittings 73 secured at the outer ends of the radial support arms 19 as by set screws 75 receive the adjacent projecting end portions of the arcuate tubes 61 to hold them in interlocked relation. A tapered channel member 16 (FIGS. 1, 4 and 8) will then be slid upwardly in place in closing relationship over the gap between the two assembled quarter-sections, said channel member being identical in construction with any one of the upper channel members 44 of the quartersections 15, and secured in place at its inner end by a nut 72 threaded on the stud bolt 42 at the juncture of the two quarter-sections, and at its outer or valance end, by bolts with lock nuts 60 joining with marginal portions of the adjacent lower channel members 45 of the side-byside quarter-sections.

The adjustable knuckle arm 14 will next be loosened to permit the partially assembled umbrella to be rotated to the opposite side, with the two assembled quartersections 15 extending upwardly, whereupon the last two quarter-sections 15 can conveniently be assembled in the same way as is described above in connection with assembly of the first two quarter-sections.

The radial support arms 18 will next be assembled by placing their outer ends in the arm sockets 64 of the T connector fittings 63 and their inner ends in their respective semi-circular portions of the recess 34 in the collar portion 33 of the adjustable knuckle arm 14, after which bolts 68 will be placed through openings 74 in the down-turned ends 67 of said support arms and secured in the tapped openings 37 in the tube 28 of said knuckle arm. Assembly is completed by fitting the cover cone 20 over the top of the umbrella, a central opening 76 being provided therein for passage of the central threaded stud 41 of the support disc 17, and securing said cover cone in place by means of the screw-on finial 21. As illustrated in FIG. 2, the cover cone 20 completely covers the umbrella support disc 17 and the inner ends of the quartersections 15, giving an attractive finished appearance to the umbrella.

In use, height of the umbrella is controlled simply by adjusting the position of the upper support tube 11 in the lower support tube 10 and then tightening the setscrew 65 on the collar 13, while its inclination is controlled by adjusting the angular position of the knuckle arm 14 with respect to the knuckle member 12 at the upper end of said support tube by means of the adjustment bolt 26.

While we have illustrated and described herein only one form in which our invention may conveniently be embodied in practice, it is to be understood that this form is given by way of example only and not in a limit ing sense. The invention, in brief, comprises all the modifications and embodiments coming within the scope and spirit of the following claims.

What we claim as new and desired to obtain by Letters Patent is:

1. An umbrella comprising, in combination, a vertical support structure, a support arm adjustably secured at one end to the upper end of said vertical support structure, an umbrella support disc secured to the other end of said support arm, a plurality of umbrella sections, each substantially in the shape of a sector of a circle having its apex end truncated along an arc concentric with its origin, means securing said umbrella sections in side-by-side depending relation about said support disc with their apex ends secured to said sup-port disc, a cone member 01] greater diameter than said support disc secured over said support disc and inner end portions of said umbrella sections, and brace mechanism supporting inside portions of said umbrella sections with respect to lower end portions of said support arm, said brace mechanism comprising plurality of tubular radial arms, a cylindrical collar mem ber provided at the lower end of said support arm, said collar member having in its upper end a plurality of peripherally arranged arcuate recesses, one for each of said radial arms, said radial arms each having at one end down-turned end portions seated one each in said arcuate recesses, and means securing the other end of said radial arms to radial mid-portions of said umbrella sections.

2. An umbrella as defined in claim 1 wherein said brace mechanism further comprises an arcuate tubular member fixed against the underside of each of said umbrella sections in concentric relation thereto, and T connector fittings secured to said arcuate tubular members and having sockets seating the other ends of said radial arms.

3. A11 umbrella as defined in claim 1 wherein said brace mechanism comprises a plurality of tubular radial arms, a cylindrical collar member provided at the lower end of said support arm, said collar member having in its upper end a plurality of peripherally arranged arcuate recesses, one for each of said radial arms, said radial arms each having at one end down-turned end portions seated one each in said arcuate recesses, and means securing the other end of said radial arms to radial mid-portions of said umbrella sections.

4. An umbrella as defined in claim 3 wherein said brace mechanism further comprises an arcuate tubular member fixed against the underside of each of said umbrella sections in concentric relation thereto, and T connector fittings secured to said arcuate tubular members and having sockets seating the other ends of said radial arms.

5. An umbrella kit comprising, in combination, a vertical support structure, a support arm, means for removably securing one end of said support arm to the upper end of said support structure, an umbrella support disc removably securable to the other end of said support arm, a plurality of umbrella sections, each substantially in the shape of a sector of a circle having its apex end truncated along an arc concentric with its origin, means for removably securing said umbrella sections in side-by-side, spaced, depending relation about said support disc and to said support disc at their apex ends, a cone member of greater diameter than said support disc removably securable over said support disc, and a plurality of brace members removably securable between inside portions of said umbrella sections and lower end portions of said support arm, said brace mechanism comprising a plurali ty of tubular radial arms, a cylindrical collar member provided at the lower end of said support arm, said collar member having in its upper end a plurality of peripherally arranged arcuate recesses, one for each of said radial arms, said radial arms each having at one end downturned portions seatable one each in said arcuate recesses, and means securing the other end of said radial arms to radial mid-portions of said umbrella sections.

6. An umbrella kit as defined in claim 5 wherein said brace mechanism further comprises an arcuate tubular member fixed against the underside of each of said umbrella sections in concentric relation thereto, and T connector fittings secured to said arcuate tubular members and having sockets seating the other ends of said radial arms.

8 References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,182,283 12/1939 Curtis -4 2,466,595 4/1949 Korman 52--73 2,485,118 10/1949 Simpson 52--66 X 2,577,317 12/1951 Eschrich 5282 X 2,905,187 9/1959 Croce 135-20 X HENRY C. SUTHERLAND, Primary Examiner.

FRANK L. ABBOTT, Examiner.

M. O. WARNECKE, Assistant Examiner. 

1. AN UMBRELLA COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, A VERTICAL SUPPORT STRUCTURE, A SUPPORT ARM ADJUSTABLY SECURED AT ONE END TO THE UPPER END OF SAID VERTICAL SUPPORT STRUCTURE, AN UMBRELLA SUPPORT DISC SECURED TO THE OTHER END OF SAID SUPPORT ARM, A PLURALITY OF UMBRELLA SECTIONS, EACH SUBSTANTIALLY IN THE SHAPE OF A SECTOR OF A CIRCLE HAVING ITS APEX END TRUNCATED ALONG AN ARC CONCENTRIC WITH ITS ORIGIN, MEANS SECURING SAID UMBRELLA SECTIONS IN SIDE-BY-SIDE DE PENDING RELATION ABOUT SAID SUPPORT DISC WITH THEIR APEX ENDS SECURED TO SAID SUPPORT DISC, A CONE MEMBER OF GREATER DIAMETER THAN SAID SUPPORT DISC SECURED OVER SAID SUPPORT DISC AND INNER END PORTIONS OF SAID UMBRELLA SECTIONS, AND BRACE MECHANISM SUPPORTING INSIDE PORTIONS OF SAID UMBRELLA SECTIONS WITH RESPECT TO LOWER END PORTIONS OF SAID SUPPORT ARM, SAID BRACE MECHANISM COMPRISING PLURALITY OF TUBULAR RDIAL ARMS, A CYLINDRICAL COLLAR MEMBER PROVIDED AT THE LOWER END OF SAID SUPPORT ARM, SAID COLLAR MEMBER HAVING IN ITS UPPER END A PLURALITY OF PERIPHERALLY ARRANGED ARCUATE RECESSES, ONE FOR EACH OF SAID RADIAL ARMS, SAID RADIAL ARMS EACH HAVING AT ONE END DOWN-TURNED END PORTIONS SEATED ONE EACH IN SAID ARCUATE RECESSES, AND MEANS SECURING THE OTHER END OF SAID RADIAL ARMS TO RADIAL MID-PORTIONS OF SAID UMBRELLA SECTIONS. 